chimera

chimera · noun¹

1. German · derived fromChimäre
2. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*ǵʰey-
3. Ancient Greek · derived fromΧίμαιρα“fire-breathing mythological monster, fire-spewing Lycian or Cilician mountain”
4. Latin · derived fromChimaera
5. French · derived fromchimère
6. Middle English · inherited fromchimere
7. English todaychimera

Variant of Middle English chimere, chymere, & chymera under renewed Latin influence from the 16th century, from French chimère, from Latin Chimaera, from Ancient Greek Χίμαιρα (Khímaira, “fire-breathing mythological monster, fire-spewing Lycian or Cilician mountain”), from χίμαιρα (khímaira, “she-goat”, from χίμαρος (khímaros, “male goat”) + -α (-a)), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰey-. In reference to the fish, directly from Latin Chimaera, used by Linnaeus. In reference to organisms with distinct areas of different genetic makeups, a calque of German Chimäre, used by Hans Winkler in 1907.

Chimera · proper noun²

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromΧίμαιρα
2. Latin · borrowed frommons
3. English todayChimera

As the mythological beast, a variant case form of chimera, q.v. As an ancient mountain, directly from Latin mons Chimaera (“Mount Chimera”), from Ancient Greek Χίμαιρα (Khímaira), attested in Strabo.

Words from the same roots